West Nile fight hits full stride in S.J.

STOCKTON - A San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District truck stopped at a manhole cover in a Stockton neighborhood Wednesday, just long enough for a worker to reach out of the passenger-side window and blast some pesticide under the street.

The San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District's new website can be found at its old address: sjmosquito.org. To contact the district by phone, call (800) 300-4675 or (209) 982-4675.

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The San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District's new website can be found at its old address: sjmosquito.org. To contact the district by phone, call (800) 300-4675 or (209) 982-4675.

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STOCKTON - A San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District truck stopped at a manhole cover in a Stockton neighborhood Wednesday, just long enough for a worker to reach out of the passenger-side window and blast some pesticide under the street.

The spray targeted a spot in the drainage system where water tends to pool, providing a prime breeding spot for mosquitoes.

Pop open the right manhole, and you'll see how fast the mosquito population can multiply.

Inspections, tests and history tells the district which areas to treat the most frequently as mosquito season continues in San Joaquin County.

This past week was a warm one - the kind of weather that speeds up growth in the mosquito population and a reminder that mosquito season is in full swing. It was also the week the district released its annual report for 2012, laying out what the district did last year to keep that population in check.

With a budget of $6.7 million, the district worked to keep the spread of disease from insect to human in check. Most prominently, the district targets the spread of the West Nile virus, which is transmitted to people by mosquito bites and can, in rare instances, cause severe illness or death.

Nationwide, last year was the second-worst outbreak of the virus, with 5,387 people getting sick and 243 people dying, according to the report.

There were 18 fatalities in California but none in San Joaquin County. Locally, 13 people - ranging in age from 11 to 86 - got sick with the virus, according to state and local reporting. Seven county residents - including the 11-year-old - suffered a neurological illness, which is more serious than West Nile fever and can cause permanent impairment. There were two cases of people in the county who tested positive for the virus but had no symptoms.

But among mosquitoes in San Joaquin County, the virus was at an epidemic level in San Joaquin County last year. In this case, "epidemic" is a laboratory term indicating high instances of the virus in the mosquito population, said district spokesman Aaron Devencenzi. The last time the virus was at epidemic levels was from 2005 through 2008. "For a three-year period, it seemed like it was waning."

The relatively dry and warm spring this year indicates there will probably be high levels of the virus again, even if there might not be as many mosquitoes as there are in wetter years, he said.

Knowledge about mosquitoes and the virus are collected by district staff, who count trapping and testing mosquitoes among their tasks. Last year, 169 samples of the mosquito population tested positive for the virus, according to the report. Efforts to keep the population down range from introducing larva-eating fish, helping property owners get rid of places the bugs can breed, and using pesticides.

These range from the pesticides to kill larvae - like the one being pumped into manhole covers in Stockton last week - to spraying by plane or truck to kill adult mosquitoes. In 2012, the district treated 61,664 acres for larvae and 178,163 acres for adult mosquitoes.

Places treated several times a year are counted each time they are treated.

Outside of its operations, the district also continued to take a financial hit from tax revenue based on declining values of property in 2012, according to the report. The report also noted 2012 was the last year for longtime district Manager John Stroh, who retired and was replaced by Eddie Lucchesi. Not in the report was the district coming under fire last year from a taxpayer group over medical benefits received by the district's board of trustees.

The report was released during what the state Legislature declared West Nile Virus and Mosquito and Vector Control Awareness Week. The county district also unveiled a new website, which officials say makes it easier for the public to access both quick updates and in-depth information.

The public can also do its part in keeping the mosquito population down by draining water where the insects breed or notifying the district when they see potential breeding areas, such as abandoned swimming pools, before mosquito larvae can mature, Lucchesi said.